BLOOMINGTON – At IU, they knew what they were getting in Romeo Langford. Everybody knew. Everybody saw. At New Albany he won a state championship and scored 3,002 points and won IndyStar Mr. Basketball. Believe me, they knew what Romeo Langford is.

“If he was a football player,” IU coach Archie Miller was saying Wednesday during IU media day, “he'd be Randy Moss. If he was a track athlete, he'd probably be Usain Bolt.”

They knew what they were getting when this 6-6 future NBA wing chose IU over Kansas and Vanderbilt, but maybe not who. The thing about Romeo, the absolute best part about him, is that his talent is so much bigger than his ego. But until he reported to campus earlier this summer, until they shared a locker room with him, not everyone at IU knew who Romeo Langford is. They do now.

“He's been a great teammate,” says IU senior Juwan Morgan, sharing the podium with Langford, “just not what is usually portrayed of a five-star (recruit) going in — being pretty much like a savior of a team or anything like that. He's just a real down-to-earth guy.”

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Juwan Morgan and Romeo Langford are the two most recognizable faces on IU's roster.
Jordan Guskey, IndyStar

As Morgan continues from a podium in the IU media room, surrounded by 30 or more reporters and at least dozen video cameras, Romeo Langford shifts in his seat. He doesn’t like this, the attention, the praise. Doesn’t need it. Baffling, really, that an athlete so young and talented could be this humble, but that’s what he is. Morgan is about to continue, but before you hear what he says, you need to see what Romeo is doing: Lowering his head. Closing his eyes. Pinching the bridge of his nose.

Make it stop.

But, no. Morgan keeps going.

“He's always making the extra pass,” Morgan says. “We all know (Romeo) can score, and he shows that ability, but he also is able to see passes and plays before it even happens. ... As good as he is, he's only getting better.”

Freshman Romeo Langford, right, sits with senior Juwan Morgan as the two answer questions from the media Wednesday afternoon. The New Albany native picked the Hoosiers over Kansas, Duke and Kentucky among a few of several colleges. Sept. 26, 2018 Matt Stone, Courier Journal

Freshman Romeo Langford, wearing number 0, stands with his teammates during a video shoot Wednesday afternoon at Assembly Hall. The New Albany native picked the Hoosiers over Kansas, Duke and Kentucky among a few of several colleges. Sept. 26, 2018 Matt Stone, Courier Journal

Freshman Romeo Langford during a video shoot Wednesday afternoon at Assembly Hall. . “We all know (Romeo) can score, and he shows that ability, but he also is able to see passes and plays before it even happens," said Juwan Morgan, IU's senior forward "... As good as he is, he's only getting better.” Sept. 26, 2018 Matt Stone, Courier Journal

New Albany native Romeo Langford, right, laughs with senior Juwan Morgan as the two head down a tunnel at Cook Center for pictures Sept. 26, 2018. Langford, a Mr. Indiana basketball, has a lot of Hoosier fans hoping he can lead them to a national championship. Sept. 26, 2018 Matt Stone, Courier Journal

Romeo Langford, No.0, stands with his teammates for a picture of the men's Indiana basketball team Wednesday afternoon. The New Albany native picked the Hoosiers over Kansas, Duke and Kentucky among a few of several colleges. Sept. 26, 2018 Matt Stone, Courier Journal

New Albany native Romeo Langford, center, laughs with fellow freshmen Jerome Hunter, left, and Damezi Anderson before a team picture Wednesday. Langford, a Mr. Indiana basketball, has a lot of Hoosier fans hoping he can lead them to a national championship. Coach Archie Miller says Langford's athleticism reminded him of Randy Moss and quickness like Usain Bolt. There's a lot of Hoosier hopes riding on the shoulders of the highly touted freshman. Sept. 26, 2018 Matt Stone, Courier Journal

Freshman Romeo Langford is interviewed during a video shoot Wednesday afternoon at Assembly Hall. . “We all know (Romeo) can score, and he shows that ability, but he also is able to see passes and plays before it even happens," said Juwan Morgan, IU's senior forward "... As good as he is, he's only getting better.” Sept. 26, 2018 Matt Stone, Courier Journal

Freshman Romeo Langford lets out a mock yell during a video shoot Wednesday afternoon at Assembly Hall. . “We all know (Romeo) can score, and he shows that ability, but he also is able to see passes and plays before it even happens," said Juwan Morgan, IU's senior forward "... As good as he is, he's only getting better.” Sept. 26, 2018 Matt Stone, Courier Journal

Freshman Romeo Langford lets out a mock yell during a video shoot Wednesday afternoon at Assembly Hall. . “We all know (Romeo) can score, and he shows that ability, but he also is able to see passes and plays before it even happens," said Juwan Morgan, IU's senior forward "... As good as he is, he's only getting better.” Sept. 26, 2018 Matt Stone, Courier Journal

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Later, an IU staffer will tell me how the New Albany football team was in town Friday night to play Bloomington North, and how Romeo was in the stands with his old friends from high school. And when the IU football team played Michigan State on Saturday, Romeo was in the stands with his teammates from college.

“He’s just so normal,” an IU staffer was telling me Wednesday.

Normal is good. Normal is what IU is going to need from Romeo and the rest of this roster to maximize what could be the best IU basketball season in years. The Hoosiers are much deeper and more talented than last season (16-15, 9-9 Big Ten) thanks to Miller’s first full recruiting class, a highly rated six-player haul including St. Mary’s graduate transfer Evan Fitzner and five freshmen, all from the Midwest, most with four stars next to their name, and Romeo of course with five.

So how are all these freshmen coming together? How's the chemistry?

“We play as a team,” says point guard Robert Phinisee of McCutcheon. “Nobody has a big head.”

That will come in handy.

“There's going to be some sacrifice this year,” Miller says, “and sometimes (it) isn't easy for them to see until their first game and only five of them take the floor. But there's going to be some serious sacrifices, not just from Romeo but Juwan to every single guy that just wants to contribute. This has to be a team of depth and togetherness this year. It really does.”

It starts with Juwan Morgan, the veteran leader who averaged 16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds a year ago in a breakout season, and next on that list is Romeo Langford. The Hoosiers will go as far as that duo takes them — as far as that duo leads them. And here, IU is in good hands. Each is charismatic in his own way, Morgan with the big and generous personality he showed to IU fans by greeting them on the court after games last season, and Romeo with the huge talent and humble mannerisms.

“(Romeo) hasn't come in here trying to, so to speak, run the show or stand out in any different way,” Miller says. “I think one thing that's good about him is he's just going about his business, doing what we're asking him to do, and at the same time, when he's gotten more comfortable and as he's gotten a little bit more time to be on campus with the guys, you can kind of tell that he's just a regular guy that likes to be in the locker room.”

After the Hoosiers pose for their team picture in the Cook Hall basketball facility, Morgan and Langford are summoned to the Assembly Hall media room to speak with reporters. They walk through a series of corridors, the acoustics amplifying the sound of Morgan’s voice as he bellows his way toward Assembly Hall. The acoustics don’t have the same effect on a whisper, which is about as loud as Romeo speaks. Morgan tilts his head, putting his ear closer to Romeo, to pick up what he is saying.

Practice starts Monday, and then come the games. Romeo Langford will be making noise soon enough.